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So this past weekend I have been dealing with the hunger monster. I have a serious sweet tooth but I have come to find out that when I eat sweets my band burns like someone poured hot acid on it. Which is a good thing, I guess. So now I have to find a way to nurture my sweet tooth without causing, what I am assuming, damage to my band. I have managed to kick soda, alcohol and cigarettes so giving up sweets should be easy right? Well....I am not sure if I would call it easy but I would defiantly say it will be a journey but in the end the victory will be well worth it. So the solution? On Saturday I found a Facebook ad for no or low carb and no sugar bread and sweets. I know they tell us not to eat bread because it can expand in our stomach, which would be awful for the band. Julian Bakery makes many breads and sweets with no sugar and no or little carbs. The ingredients are simple, Ingredients: Purified water, oat fiber, erythritol, egg whites, inulin, almond meal, modified corn starch, cocoa (processed with alkali), olive oil, xanthan gum, guar gum, leavening (monocalcium phosphate, baking soda), natural flavors. These are the ingredients for the chocolate brownies I purchased. The company lists the following on their site: ThinSlim Foods low carb, low fat, and low calorie brownies. http://www.julianbakery.com/ Each brownie is only 45 calories, 2g net carbs, 0 diet count,2 diet count plus, has 8g of fiber and 6g of protein. These brownies are sweetened with erythritol instead of maltitol or splenda so there is no aftertaste and no GI distress. These brownies have been designed so that they won’t cause any blood sugar spike in diabetics – a true low carb food. All our products come with two guarantees: 100% guaranteed not to raise blood glucose. 100% Taste Guarantee – applicable for 1 item of each product/flavor per customer. So of course I had to try these. Once they come in I will let you know if it was worth my $11.00. Although I have been finding ways to moderate my favorite treats I am going to challenge myself this week before my brownies come, I invite you all to join my challenge. For this week try finding a replacement for your old bad habits and post them. If you love ice cream try freezing greek yogurt. If you enjoy Starbucks caramel frappuccino, try the coffee frap with skim milk and a pump of sugar free caramel. Either way try something new, small changes can make a bigger impact on your weight loss goals we just need to make them one step at a time. I look forward to your posts.

Interesting article in the Toronto Star today. BATTLING OBESITY TheStar.com - Health - `Only way' to freedom `Only way' to freedom After desperate bids to lose weight, at nearly 400 pounds Barrie mom took life-saving step Feb 02, 2007 04:30 AM Karen Bridson-Boyczuk Special to The Star Rating her pain level at an eight out of 10 between morphine shots, Barrie resident Rachel Buttery sits in her Michigan hospital bed and says she doesn't miss food yet. A day after undergoing gastric bypass surgery, the 33-year-old, 393-pound mother of two says she's just thrilled that she will, no doubt, finally be able to keep her New Year's weight-loss resolution this year. Ontario's provincial health insurance paid the $24,000 (U.S.) cost of her surgery because of long waiting lists here and the deteriorating state of her health. Buttery's surgery, on Jan. 3, involved creating a tiny pouch out of the top of her stomach and attaching it to her large intestine, completely bypassing the rest of her stomach and her small intestine. "They keep bringing me different kinds of broth and Jell-O, but I'm partial to the ice chips," says Buttery, who admits it was her addiction to food that led her down the road to morbid obesity. "I'm sure I will miss food eventually. But there's nothing I can eat that would be better than doing what I'll be able to do when I lose weight." At five-feet nine-inches tall, Buttery's Body Mass Index is off the charts at 61. A normal body mass index is between 18.5 and 24.9. A person who has a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Buttery has a degenerating left hip and must undertake more than an hour of walking in the morning to become fully mobile. Her blood sugar levels are at the high normal range – not diabetic, yet, her doctors say, but getting toward Type II diabetes. She has an enlarged spleen and an enlarged and fatty liver and she suffers from sleep apnea, a condition where her airway becomes obstructed when she sleeps, cutting off air flow and periodically choking her. Surprisingly, her blood pressure and cholesterol levels remain fine. But as her husband Paul Buttery says, that's for now. "She's fairly healthy, but how long will that last?" he says. Her surgeon, Dr. Tallal Zeni, says Buttery's excessive weight is life-threatening. "If she doesn't lose weight, there's a high risk of other medical problems all coming together to shorten her lifespan." A person with a BMI of 40, where morbid obesity starts, is more than two and a half times more likely to die than someone with a healthy BMI. Obesity has been linked to various cancers, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and depression. Buttery's fight with weight began in childhood and, after the birth of her first daughter 11 years ago, it slowly climbed, hitting its peak of 399 pounds this September. Since then, her life has increasingly been affected by her weight. "If you go to a friend's house, you think, `Okay, what can I sit on that won't break?' You worry about fitting through the turnstiles in stores. At restaurants, you can't sit in a booth. When you get into somebody's car, you pray to God the seatbelt is going to fit." No longer able to fit into airline seatbelts, even with the belt extension, Buttery turned to bus travel with her family a few years ago. But even that proved uncomfortable. Buttery spent hours unable to urinate on a 13-hour trip to Cincinnati in 2003 because she couldn't fit into the bathroom at the back of the bus. One option was surgery to reduce her stomach to a pouch that holds just under an ounce of food. But the decision wasn't made easily. First, she says, she worked very hard to lose the weight on her own. In the past five years alone, Buttery has joined the Weight Watchers program on four occasions and lost varying amounts each time. With the help of a personal trainer, with whom she worked for a year, Buttery managed to lose 32 pounds. Lifting weights, walking on the treadmill, counting her points, Buttery was moving in the right direction, says GoodLife Fitness trainer Shelly McNamee. "But her emotional attachment to food and the extreme stress that she was under in her life kept sending things out of whack," McNamee says. She was upset to hear Buttery had gained back the weight she'd lost, plus another 30-odd pounds since they stopped working together a year ago. Gaining back the lost weight, and then some, is typical for most dieters and often a key factor in how people manage to sink further into obesity, says Zeni, who performed Buttery's three-hour surgery at St. Mary Mercy Hospital. "With traditional medical weight loss, we see successful, long-term weight loss in just 1 to 2 per cent of patients," he says. "But with this surgery, we have an 80 per cent success rate five to 10 years out." But there are risks. The laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass – the kind of stomach-reducing surgery recommended for Buttery – has a fatality rate of one in 200, the risk of bowel leakage and potentially fatal blood clots, and a six-week recovery time. "It's not a surgery one should go into lightly," Zeni says. "But for people who are trying to lose weight and have other medical problems, it's the only way to get the weight off and keep it off." Zeni stresses it is not a magic bullet. "You've got to be committed to it for the long-term," he says. "Everybody is going to lose weight for the first year and a half (on average, 70 per cent of the excess weight is lost by this point), but you want it to be successful over a lifetime." For many, Zeni says, dieting and exercise alone just can't get people to where they want to be. "Once you get to a level of morbid obesity, for whatever reasons – genetics, metabolic rate, appetite – maintaining the weight loss is just unsustainable." That was Buttery's story. Now recovering at home from her operation, she says she saw surgery as her only way out. After having no trouble sticking to her diet and exercise plans for weeks and sometimes months on end, Buttery would find something in her life would go wrong and her fitness regimen would begin to unwind. "Any time I get stressed, that's what I do. I eat," she says. "And nine times out of 10, I don't even realize I'm doing it. I'd just go to the fridge and I'd just start grazing." It also hasn't helped having a husband who is a professional chef and loved to "love her with food," and thinks she looks no different than the day he met her when she was 17, Buttery says. Food produces a euphoric haze for her, like a drug, she says. "But food is the one thing you can't take away. You don't need alcohol to live, or drugs or cigarettes. But you can't not eat." Meanwhile, some people in Buttery's life feel she's taking the "easy way out." They point to such high-profile gastric bypass patients, like singer Carnie Wilson, who have gained back a surprising amount of weight given the medically reduced size of their stomachs. Zeni says this can be a result of the stomach being stretched out again by food, by the connection between the stomach pouch and intestines stretching out to accommodate more food or because of other unknown factors. "Some people are eating 1,000 calories a day after the surgery and they are still not losing, even when the pouch has not stretched," he says. "So there's more to it than we know at this time." Ten per cent of patients will gain back about one-third of the weight they initially lost, while another 10 per cent will gain back more than that, Zeni says. "It's not 100 per cent. But compared to traditional medical weight loss, it's really excellent. Ultimately, those who are successful still maintain less than 1,400 calories a day and (continue to) exercise." According to a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, gastric bypass surgery cures diabetes in 77 per cent of cases, cures or improves high blood pressure in 78 per cent of patients and ends sleep apnea for 86 per cent of patients, Zeni says. Buttery approached the Ontario health ministry last fall to get it to pay for her to have the surgery in the United States. Waiting lists to have the surgery in Canada are, for certain surgeries, several years long. Ultimately, Buttery's stomach will be able to hold about two to three ounces of food at time. But she says she's not worried about how she will cope when life gets difficult and she simply can't eat a whole box of chocolates, as she had in the past. "I've been reading a book on food addiction and I've got a support group I can go to in Barrie," she says. Between that, the four hours of nutritional counselling she received through Zeni's office and the help of her husband, who has vowed to cook up healthy foods from now on, Buttery says she's got the support she needs. She removed some serious stressors in her life, she says. Worry that she's set a bad example for her daughters has also fuelled her drive to make this work, Buttery says. "I've got to stop the cycle." For now, she's focused on how much fun she'll have with her family. "I'll be able to go horseback riding and swimming," she says. "I've got pages of stuff I've not been able to do in years. I haven't been able to go on a roller-coaster ride in years. I used to be a real roller-coaster junkie."

My doc says 3 months for caffeine, longer for alcohol. BUT you're already eating...do what you did last time! If it worked for you before it should work again.

My surgeon is cool with coffee and alcohol...in moderation (maybe that's why I like him?!). Coffee is frowned upon mostly because it can act as a diuretic and alcohol because of the empty calories. I have not had a problem with either....

I had my surgery in dec and my outlet is a snickers bar. I never did drugs or alcohol so no that's not an issue with me. The therapist that we had before surgery said that some turn to alcohol and I may since I can't overheat in food. I laughed in her face. A coworker that had the sleeve all she talk about is drinking. She did four wks out and was bragging that she didn't get sick. I pray she don't get addicted. Are you honestly having issues with addiction to something? If so, we are here to talk if you need to.

it's very common. more common than people think. I haven't had surgery yet, but I have a history of addiction with over 3 years clean and in recovery. no reason to be ashamed, and it's awesome that you're recognizing that you might be having an issue. flush the pain meds and no drinking. talk to someone you trust. attend some 12 step meetings (narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, overeaters anonymous etc) and find some support. you are welcome to message me anytime. there are quite a few ppl on this site that have had issues with addiction/ coping. I wish you luck.

OH believe me the band does not affect alcohol i still drink as much as i like and its no different from before i had the band, you enjoy it. Just in moderation as the hidden calories are naughty lol. Liz xxxxxx

I've gone out socially and had drinks with friends. As my band loves liquids, drinking is not a problem. I do feel the effects of the alcohol very quickly. Maybe my limited capacity has something to do with it, or maybe because I have limited food in there to soak it up. Consider the calories in alcohol--it's very easy to drink your calories, especially if you're impaired.

Today is Wednesday, May 14th and I'm one week out from my surgery. I started my journey 2.5 years ago when my sister was banded. Jealousy immediatley deployed me to the internet to learn more about this procedure, combing through everyone's stories wondering if I could finally accomplish the one goal I haven't been able to tackle, a healthy state of being. During my gestation period (pre-banding) I've learned a lot about myself. I love food so much that the glaring "red flags" from the Doctor's lab reports were easy to dismiss as most of the World is obese so join the crowd. I'm in my mid forties, successful in my field but everyday I wake up feeling the dread, how many calories did you consume the day prior, you blew off the walk you promised yourself everyday, your clothes feel tight and yes it appears you'll need to go up another size. When does it stop? In researching the topic, I convinced myself two years ago I would finally do something for myself even if it meant paying for it out of pocket. My husband of 27 years has been patient but I can tell he looks at me differently than he did when I was 125 pounds lighter, just 14 years ago. Each year I managed to gain 10 more pounds. He on the other hand had managed to maintain his weight within 25 pounds regardless of the sweets, fat, and alcohol he consumed. Finally, this is my journey. No children to counsel, no pressing projects at work to lead, no more excuses for killing myself emotionally as well as physically bite by bite. For the record, I don't want to look like one of the desperate housewives but rather a confident, healthy person who can stay up past 9pm with a little extra energy to store away for the next day rather than borrowing from tomorrow. My mother died when I was 26 from Uterine cancer (probably obesity related) and father at 31 from heart disease. I'd like to be around to see my grandchildren someday and watch my children marry as I miss my parents so much. Wish me luck as I know this will be the hardest undertaking I've personally experienced in my life. Much harder than giving birth my first child a 10 lb 5oz baby boy. This baby's birth needs to hit 100 lbs and whether it takes a year, two, or three I will finally succeed. I'll check in later... Ollie

Today is Wednesday, May 14th and I'm one week out from my surgery. I started my journey 2.5 years ago when my sister was banded. Jealousy immediatley deployed me to the internet to learn more about this procedure, combing through everyone's stories wondering if I could finally accomplish the one goal I haven't been able to tackle, a healthy state of being. During my gestation period (pre-banding) I've learned a lot about myself. I love food so much that the glaring "red flags" from the Doctor's lab reports were easy to dismiss as most of the World is obese so join the crowd. I'm in my mid forties, successful in my field but everyday I wake up feeling the dread, how many calories did you consume the day prior, you blew off the walk you promised yourself everyday, your clothes feel tight and yes it appears you'll need to go up another size. When does it stop? In researching the topic, I convinced myself two years ago I would finally do something for myself even if it meant paying for it out of pocket. My husband of 27 years has been patient but I can tell he looks at me differently than he did when I was 125 pounds lighter, just 14 years ago. Each year I managed to gain 10 more pounds. He on the other hand had managed to maintain his weight within 25 pounds regardless of the sweets, fat, and alcohol he consumed. Finally, this is my journey. No children to counsel, no pressing projects at work to lead, no more excuses for killing myself emotionally as well as physically bite by bite. For the record, I don't want to look like one of the desperate housewives but rather a confident, healthy person who can stay up past 9pm with a little extra energy to store away for the next day rather than borrowing from tomorrow. My mother died when I was 26 from Uterine cancer (probably obesity related) and father at 31 from heart disease. I'd like to be around to see my grandchildren someday and watch my children marry as I miss my parents so much. Wish me luck as I know this will be the hardest undertaking I've personally experienced in my life. Much harder than giving birth my first child a 10 lb 5oz baby boy. This baby's birth needs to hit 100 lbs and whether it takes a year, two, or three I will finally succeed. I'll check in later... Ollie

There's probably hormones involved in the anxiety. It's not unusual for alcohol to become an issue post WLS. Did you work with a therapist or Psych pre-op? I'd make an appointment to discuss both the anxiety and potential alcohol addiction. Keeping you in my prayers! Stay strong, Dave!

I believe that alcoholic and non alcoholic fatty liver are quite different and cirrhosis is far less common with non alcoholic. The fat is actually in our liver cells (though if we are obese we'll almost certainly have more fat than is ideal around our organs too), and the overall size of our liver increases. The Optifast pre-op diet is aimed at decreasing the fat in our liver cells and so the size of our liver. I believe we can decrease the size of our livers by diet, so VSG should really help. Amazingly it's low carb that is most important. Good luck. It's v common these days (due to growing rate of obesity) but far better to be without!

My surgeon's instruction say I should wait one year before drinking alcohol. Doubt I'll make it a year with no wine...

Hello: I have my first appointment with my surgeon and dietitian on June 2nd. I am self-pay but they are going to submit it to insurance too I think. I have documented high cholesterol and had gestational diabetes with a BMI of 40. I am nervous, but happy, and trying not to listen to all the naysayers! They are every where! I feel like let's get the show on the road! I am scared about giving up beer though, not like I drink all the time but it is the only alcohol I like. So I guess I can't drink anymore when we go camping, or out with friends, ect.. : (

You're body asborbs the alcohol through the intestines, and tranfered to the blood stream and into the organs of the body, most of it detoxified by the liver.

I first met Western Bariatrics in Reno, NV in April 2012; Dr. Watson and his staff were fantastic! I havew been rollercoaster dieting for years, trying all sorts of things but needed to move forward. I wanted to make a decision lap band vs. bypass; I chose lap band. So all the prep, insurance approval, etc. finally came. In July, I started swimming laps for two months, then took lessons and learned the right way to swim laps to benefit your cardio and physical body! So, I wanted to start a habit before surgery. After I returned from vacation in mid August, I started my four week pre op. I quit drinking alcohol cold turkey, which was very difficult as I was a social drinker, but heavy at times. I also started protein drinks, mostly Muscle Milk Light, chicken broth, string cheese, hard boiled egg, pudding and jello for four weeks; With that and swimming, when I weighed in the day of surgery, I was 36 pounds down. Dr. Watson was very pleased! My surgery was September 12th and as I write this, I am on day 10 post op. I have lost an additional 6 pounds. I have stuck to the post op diet rigid. My follow up is in a week or two as I live 4.5 hours away from my doc. I will plan on getting a fill, looking forward to solid foods soon :-) SO that is my story. I want to get healthy, stay healthy and be happy. :-)

Echoing what everyone else said, drinking in moderation is okay. Be sure to track your calories to make sure you don't overdo it. Alcohol can be high calorie with no protein payoff, and consequently I avoid it. My doctor also said both alcohol and caffeine are appetite stimulants as well.

Drunk on a sip or two? Not unless you were seriously susceptible to the effects of alcohol pre-band.

Have one for me! The only word of caution I have is that alcohol seems to affect me much easier now! Sip slowly and enjoy!

If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use meal replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results! * Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

I think if you had one glass of wine it shouldn't hurt. I wouldn't go out and get stupid drunk! We have friends over alot and sit out on the deck and have a cocktail or two. It is enjoyable. I was banded on 8/14/08 and haven't had any alcohol since, but I have an appt with my surgeon this week and am going to ask him if I can have a glass of wine once a week or so.

It's normal for doctors to require you to take B1 supplements for 90-180 days after surgery. However, it's very rare to have a thiamine deficiency but it can be very serious. Get started on B1 capsules daily. Increase your grain consumption (whole), decrease alcohol and sugar consumption.

Just sorta my story. Hope it is ok to post. I have battled weight my entire life. My sister was the skinny one, I was the "husky" one. Oh how I hated that word. Seriously, who calls a kid "husky" for crying out loud!? Is that supposed to make a kid feel better than calling them fat? I remember being little and my Aunt would joke around saying my sister was "the stick of butter" and I was the "tub of butter." Amazing how even adults can make kids feel bad about weight, huh? I never really remember being a happy kid. I hated going to school. My home life was not a great one. My parents divorced when I was about 3. My Mom had a lot of personal issues of her own that I don't think she really ever knew how to deal with. She moved us from place to place. She dated different guys. She depended on alcohol a lot. Let me get this out here from the start though. I LOVE my my with all my heart. She may not have always been the best Mom, but she is MY Mom. I love her. Having said that, my childhood sorta sucked. I know now that I suffered from depression, but there was no one there to notice or do anything about it. The one comfort I had was food. I turned to food when I was bored. I turned to food when I was sad. Let me tell you, I was bored and sad a lot. When you are a teenager and you have a weight problem, you also have self esteem issues. You do not like yourself. All you want is for someone else to like you. That is pretty damn hard when you don't like yourself. Sadly, when you do not like yourself, it then becomes easy for people to use you. You let it happen because, although it is negative attention you are getting, it is still attention. So at a young age I was doing things with boys that was not appropriate. Things that, if I could go back and stop myself from doing, I most definitely would. Crazy how something like weight can totally throw off how you view and feel about yourself, huh? I made it out of the teenage years and into young adulthood. I met my husband when I was 18. (Ok, still a kid really!) By the time I was 20, our daughter was born. Well, she was born on May 20th and I turned 21 on August 11th. He met me when I was overweight. He accepted me as the person I was....someone who was overweight. He saw me for and loved me for the person I was on the inside. I was so thankful for that. However, I still did not love myself. Over the years I still struggled with my weight. I also struggled with my depression. I actually did not get diagnosed and treated for depression until a few years into our marriage. There were ups and downs with that and the weight. In 2000, I lost 91 lbs while doing low carb. My husband and I were actually separated at the time. (We separated 3 times throughout the years. Don't worry, it has a happy ending since we are back together now and stronger than ever!) However, low carb was a temporary fix. I went through some hard times, the depression came back, and so did the weight....along with some extra. I then just gave up with the weight loss. I accepted the fact that I was destined to be fat forever. Fast forward to 2011. In August of 2011 I broke my ankle. Not a big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't. Well, not until a week later when I started to have some serious pain and the cast I had on got really tight. I went to the doctor and they decide it would be a good idea to just check and make sure I hadn't developed a blood clot. Turns out I hadn't developed one blood clot.....I had developed TWO, one of which had already moved up into my thigh. I was immediately rushed over to the hospital and admitted. I spent the next 10 days there as they tried to get the clots under control. It was at that point that I realized I seriously could have died from that. I could have died and never saw my daughter grow up and have a successful career and family. It was not directly because of my weight, but my weight was a factor. Once I got out of the hospital, I was on blood thinners for months, having to go to the doctor sometimes as often as every 3 days to have my blood drawn. Not fun, let me tell you. Fast forward to January of 2012. I will spare you the details, but I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Not really life or death, but again another health issue. However, the part about THIS surgery that really made me start to think about the lap band surgery was the cost. I have health insurance. I work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, so obviously that is the insurance I also have. Since I started working for them, I also got to know the criteria to be met for the lap band surgery. I mean, I had thought about it in the past, but never thought I could actually afford to do it. However, here I found myself in January having this emergency surgery. THIS surgery meant that I had met my out of pocket maximum of my insurance at the start of the year. For the rest of 2012, all of my medical bills were covered 100% by my insurance. That REALLY made me start to realize that lap band WAS possible for me. I mean, working for BCBS of IL, I knew that with my BMI and my health history, I more than qualified to meet the criteria. With my out of pocket max being met, it would be no cost to me. Why in the world NOT go for it?!?! So, one day in March I decided to go for a consult. I found info about a lap band surgeon in the area who was in my PPO network. I called and made the appointment. By May I had met with the surgeon, I had gone through the 3 hour psych evaluation/dietican evaluation, etc, and I had sent it for preapproval with BCBS. Within 3 days I had my approval back from the insurance company. This was REALLY going to happen. I still couldn't believe it. I then, however, had to wait until August for the actual surgery because I wanted to save up my paid time off at work. A week before surgery the doctor called and told me there was something "suspicious" with my EKG and they didn't know if I could have the surgery. I freaked out. Now, normal people would freak out over the abnormal EKG, right? Me? I freaked out over the idea of maybe not being able to get he surgery. Messed up, I know. So I ended up having to get an EEG done and was able to get it back and the results to the surgeon A DAY before surgery. Everything was fine and the surgery went on as planned. Surgery took place on August 7, 2012. On the day of surgery I weighed 304.5 lbs and wore a size 26 jeans. Today, December 22, 2012, I weigh 252.8 lbs and wear a size 18 jeans. I do not regret my decision for a moment. Six months ago, I am sure I would NEVER had told someone my weight or clothing size. Am I where I want to be right now? No, however, I am proud of how far I have come. I know the road ahead is not an easy one nor will it be a quick one. I WISH it was a quick one. My doctor scolds me all the time for being frustrated that I have not lost more. I am impatient. I admit it. I want this weight gone NOW. I know that is not going to happen, and I am slowly accepting that. I do know I am heading in the right direction though. I am heading in the HEALTHY direction. So yeah....that is me and my lap band journey.

I see someone posted about going out and haveing a drink how long after surgery can u have alcohol ? And I like fruity drinks I wonder what kids I can drink any ideals?

1. Start practicing not drinking with meals. Post WLS, the typical recommendation is no fluids 30 mins before and 30 mins after meals or snacks. 2. Practice taking very small bites and chewing well before swallowing. 3. Give up caffeine so you don't have withdrawal headaches post-surgery. 4. After your next weigh in, give up carbonated beverages, sweets, and alcohol. You may feel lousy for a bit as toxins leave your body but it is best to go through this before surgery instead of afterwards. 5. No food funerals before surgery as you want to be as light and healthy as possible to minimize surgical risks. 6. Start working on your headspace regarding your relationship with food. Good luck getting approved! This is going to be such a positive change in your life!